Salvation Army to close thrift store

June 25, 2013

HANCOCK - Even a nonprofit organization's thrift store has financial obligations, and because of the difficulty of meeting those obligations, the Salvation Army thrift store will close Saturday.

Maj. Mark Brown of the Salvation Army in Hancock, said the local organization's superiors have known about the financial situation for some time, and they've been very patient.

"It's been a while coming," he said. "It wasn't a snap decision (to close the thrift store) at all."

Article Photos

Kurt Hauglie/Daily Mining GazetteChelsea Schelly of Hancock looks through some clothing at the Salvation Army thrift store in Hancock.The thrift store located on the corner of Mesnard and Hancock streets will close after Saturday.

Revenue from the store just isn't enough to cover costs of operating it, Brown said.

The thrift store has been on the corner of Mesnard and Hancock streets for about 10 years, Brown said. Before that, it was in the building now occupied by Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly on Hancock Street.

Although the thrift store is frequented often by some people, it needed more to keep it going.

"We have some loyal customers, just not enough of them," he said.

Brown said items in the store are at half-price now, but depending on how sales go, that could change.

"It could go higher," he said of the discount amount.

The building in which the thrift store is located used to be owned by D&N Bank, which used it for office space, Brown said. It will be appraised for sale after all the merchandise is moved out.